Formerly Dead

April 21, 2013

John 10:22-30 Acts 9:36-43 Revelation 7:9-17

Have you watched television lately? It seems like every other show has something to do with death. Some years ago we enjoyed watching the show Touched by an Angel in which angels would walk with people who would die during the show and help them to the other side. Then many people watched Ghost Whisperer in which a woman who could see ghosts, helped spirits who were stuck on earth to cross-over to their eternal destiny. None of this even begins to mention the other shows that revolve around the subject of death, you know the ones about vampires, ghosts, zombies and other undead characters and even that doesnt include all the cop shows like CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law and Order, and a bunch of others that usually begin each week with someones death. Why do we seem to have such a fascination with death? I would have to guess that, although we try to ignore it as often as possible, death awaits all of us and so, we wonder about what happens when the end happens. The truth is... none of this is new. Death takes a prominent role in all sorts of ancient literature, whole religions have grown up around differing philosophies regarding death, and scripture includes many stories about death as well. We begin this morning in Acts 9:36-43, where we find the people of the church in Joppa, now known as Jaffa, a town in Israel near what is now Tel Aviv, call on Peter to heal one of their leading members
36

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, Please come at once!
39

Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, Tabitha, get up. She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. Tabitha was a woman who loved others. She was known among the people, and especially within the church, because she was always doing things for others and for helping the poor. The people of the church heard that Peter was nearby and they called for him to come. It seems that when they called Peter, Tabitha was already dead, so their call to Peter was not a call for healing, but a call for something bigger. The people knew that Tabitha was dead. They had already washed her body and dressed it, and prepared it for her funeral. They werent dumb people. They had seen death before. They knew what death looked like. It would have been nearly impossible for these people to be confused over whether Tabitha was alive or dead. Peter wasnt confused either. Peter didnt command Tabitha to get up just because he thought 1

that she was asleep. Peter commanded her to get up knowing full well that she was dead and she gets up. The woman who was dead is no longer dead. Peter simply commanded her to get up and she did. We know that Jesus had power over life and death, but here we discover that he had given that power to those who follow him and if that wasnt big enough news, the news about death is even bigger than that. In John 10:22-30, the leaders of the church ask Jesus, flat out, if he is the Messiah
22

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomons Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.
25

Jesus answered, I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Fathers name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Fathers hand. 30 I and the Father are one. I want you to hear this again because it is important. Jesus says, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Jesus does not say, 'I gave them eternal life', so that people might be confused that those who received the gift were those who are already dead. Jesus does not say, I will give them eternal life so people might be confused and think that eternal life is something that we will receive after we are dead. Jesus specifically says that he gives eternal life to those who know him, who follow him, and who listen to him. At the beginning of this message, I casually mentioned that death awaits us all and no one even raised an eyebrow, because, that is the way that we think. Most of the time, we simply assume that we are alive, that sometime in the future, we will die, and after that, we will live eternally. Wrong. If we are followers of Jesus Christ and we have put our trust in him, then we have already received the gift of eternal life. We have already begun to live forever. We are, like Tabitha, a people who are not only alive; we are a people who were formerly dead. Before we decided to accept Jesus Christ and follow him, we were like inmates on death row, or the zombies on the Walking Dead. We were dead men (and women). Dead men walking. Alive but doomed. Alive, but sentenced to death for the many ways in which we had offended God. Alive, but barely, alive but trapped in a body that would carry us to the grave. Alive, but able to hear the clock ticking the moments away as it counted down to the time of our death. But we are no longer dead men walking. We are no longer the walking dead. We are, at this moment, eternal beings. We have, already, begun to live a life that will last forever. Eternal life is not something that we will receive in some clouded and misty future but a gift that we have already received. Jesus said, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

We have already begun a life that will continue after death. We have already begun to worship and give praise to God even though our lives are sometimes visited by pain and suffering. The difference between our lives now and the life that we will live after our earthly end is not the difference between life and death, but the difference between suffering and joy. We are, now, just as alive as we will ever be, but one day we will be freed from pain and suffering. In Johns Revelation (7:9-17) we hear these words
9

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
11

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!
13

Then one of the elders asked me, These in white robeswho are they, and where did they come from? I answered, Sir, you know.

14

And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. We are not alone. There are men and women of every color, of every language, and from every tribe and nation who, with us, are brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us, who are now separated by geography, language, gender, racism, and time, will one day all be together with God. 3

We were once dead men walking. Now we have begun living a life that will never end. Today we worship in spirit, but one day we will worship in the throne room of heaven itself. Today we live lives that are filled with terror and suffering and pain and death but one day will be set free. On that day we will live together in unity. On that day there will be no more death, no more suffering, no more crying, and no more pain. And God will wipe away every tear. But Peter didnt raise Tabitha from the dead just so that she could live a happy retirement. When Tabitha rose from the dead, we can be sure that she lived her life as she always did, by doing good for those around her and by helping the poor. When Jesus brought us back from the dead and gave us eternal life, neither did he do so just so that we could live a happy and restful retirement. Because we are alive in Jesus Christ, we are called to live our lives for Jesus Christ and to spend our lives in his service. Let us busy ourselves rescuing others from death, as we have been rescued. Let us live our lives in the service of others and do good for the poor so that heaven will be filled with those whom we have shared the Good News.

You have been reading a message presented at Trinity United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Trinity of Perry heights in Massillon, Ohio. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Trinity United Methodist Church, 3757 Lincoln Way E., Massillon, Ohio 44646. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@trinityperryheights.org. If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.